Health & Wellness

“Individuals with complex psychiatric and physical health challenges deserve access to the high quality care that is provided here and has been on the leading edge of innovation. Over time we expect that the higher quality care that Fountain House provides will help save the system."

- Dr. Nirav Shah, Former New York State Commissioner of Health

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), people living with serious mental illness have a life expectancy 10-20 years less than the general population[1]. The majority of deaths are due to preventable physical diseases, especially cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease, and infections.

At Fountain House, we know you can’t have a healthy mind without a healthy body. Through our Community System of Care, which combines medical and psychiatric services at the Sidney R. Baer Jr. Center, with social interventions at Fountain House, members experience reduced hospitalizations and a 21% decrease in costs to Medicaid[2].

Wellness Programming at Fountain House

Healthy Meals

Fountain House members and staff work side-by-side in our Wellness and Culinary Units to prepare breakfast and lunch daily, providing healthy, nourishing meals and an opportunity for the community to gather and socialize.

Meals prepared at Fountain House use fresh produce from the Fountain House Farm in Montague, NJ and other local suppliers. In 2017, the Fountain House Farm produced:

Classes and Groups

Our members have access to an array of wellness programs and classes within the clubhouse, including:

Yoga & meditation

Nutritional cooking

Daily walking group

Weekly running group

Smoking cessation

Supported Sobriety

Peter B. Lewis and Adam Lewis Wellness Center

The Peter B. Lewis and Adam Lewis Wellness Center comprises the two top floors of Fountain House’s location in New York City. The Wellness Center features a large teaching kitchen, open studio space, and a fitness center. Generously funded by gifts from Peter Lewis and his son, Adam Lewis, the Wellness Center underscores Fountain House’s commitment to an integrative approach to the health and well-being of our community.

Fountain House members have year-round access to the fitness center.

Partnership with YMCA

Fountain House members who seek advanced gym facilities can apply for a discounted membership to the McBurney YMCA through our Wellness Unit.

Our partnership with the McBurney YMCA was established in 2012 and offers 50 discounted memberships to Fountain House members annually.

The Sidney R. Baer Jr. Center

The Sidney R. Baer Jr. Center is the first integrated health home model in the U.S. for people living with mental illness. It is a collaborative partnership with Brightpoint Health.

The group practice of physicians and psychiatrists relies on a team-based approach that includes social workers and other key relationships. The patient is at the center of this team and an active agent in his/her own recovery. Individuals are approached from a strength-based perspective that is motivational rather than diagnostic. They are encouraged to pursue wellness, education, employment, and life goals.

Wellness Scholarships

In 2017, Fountain House’s Scholarship Program expanded to include wellness scholarships. This new category of scholarship assists members to meet their health goals outside of the internal wellness and fitness programming offered at Fountain House.

The scholarship encourages members to participate in healthy activities they are personally interested in, such as dance, swimming, or karate, as they advance in their recovery.